Top contenders chase spots in the European Derby final
by Thomas Hedlund
Three eliminations will set the stage for the $480,000 European Derby final — two in Sweden on Saturday (Sept. 27) and one in France on Friday (Sept. 26). The 12-horse final will be contested at Solvalla on Oct. 11, where Europe’s best 4-year-old will be crowned.
Eight horses will line up at Vincennes on Friday in a strong field going 2,100 meters behind the gate. Headliners include Lovino Bello (Village Mystic) and Frank Gio (Face Time Bourbon).
In Sweden, two eliminations with eight starters each are on the menu, and those fields are equally competitive. Bullet The Bluesky (Readly Express), First Of Mind (Face Time Bourbon), Far Wise As (Face Time Bourbon), Dream Mine (Maharajah), and La Yuca (Face Time Bourbon) bring the top credentials, but both divisions look wide-open and hard to predict.
VINCENNES FRIDAY
Horse (Sire) — Driver
1. L’As Desbois (Booster Winner) — Alexandre Abrivard
2. Lady Gada (Ready Cash) — William Bigeon
3. Loulou de Mye (Clif du Pommereux) — Romain Christian Larue
4. Frank Gio (Face Time Bourbon) — Matthieu Abrivard
5. Lilas Castelle (El Villagio) — Benjamin Rochard
6. Fellow Wise As (Maharajah) — Nicolas Bazire
7. Lovino Bello (Village Mystic) — Eric Raffin
8. Light My Fire (Ready Cash) — Frank Nivard
ÅBY SATURDAY
Horse (Sire) — Driver
Heat 1
1. Kreadlys Lew (Readly Express) — Joakim Lövgren
2. Preacherman (Father Patrick) — Markus B. Svedberg
3. Bullet The Bluesky (Readly Express) — Daniel Wäjersten
4. Izod Zet (Propulsion) — Örjan Kihlström
5. Walmann (Walner) — Claes Sjöström
6. Onana Boko (Trixton) — Björn Goop
7. Nadal B.R. (Googoo Gaagaa) — SCRATCHED
8. First Of Mind (Face Time Bourbon) — Alessandro Gocciadoro
Heat 2
1. Far Wise As (Face Time Bourbon) — Robin Bakker
2. Dream Mine (Maharajah) — Mats E. Djuse
3. Tony Adams (Muscle Hill) — Dwight Pieters
4. Marshal (Nuncio) — Johan Untersteiner
5. Mister Lion (Mister J.P.) — Rikard N. Skoglund
6. La Yuca (Face Time Bourbon) — Örjan Kihlström
7. Bootsman (Campo Bahia) — Per Nordström
8. Before Takeoff (Nuncio) — Daniel Wäjersten
FUNNY GIO SETS WORLD RECORD IN BOLOGNA
Free Time Jepson, this year’s King’s Trophy winner, had no answer for Funny Gio in Sunday’s (Sept. 21) $181,000 Gran Premio Continentale on the half-mile track in Bologna — and maybe it was no surprise.
Funny Gio delivered a world-record performance.
The 4-year-old daughter of Face Time Bourbon seized command in the Group 1 event, while stablemate Free Time Jepson was parked first-over. In the lane, Funny Gio kicked clear effortlessly, and despite coasting late, she demolished the previous world record for 4-year-old mares by a half-second, winning in a mile rate of 1:54.1 for 1¼ miles. Remarkably, she did it under wraps. For context, M-M’s Dream (Swan For All) set the North American mark for the division two years ago at Yonkers Raceway in 1:54.3.
Far West Bi (Muscle Hill), trained by Holger Ehlert and driven by Roberto Vecchione, closed well from second-over to be second. Free Time Jepson (Face Time Bourbon) held third.
The $78,000 Gran Premio Continentale Filly for 4-year-old mares saw Follia d’Esi (Ringostarr Treb) finish strongest. Alessandro Gocciadoro sent Fantastic Gio to the front turning for home, but Marco Stefani launched Follia d’Esi with a furious rally to prevail in 1:54.4 for the mile.
Fantastic Gio (Face Time Bourbon) was second in 1:55, while Fenice del Ronco (Maharajah) took third in 1:55.3 after a pocket trip.
Follia d’Esi continues to build an impressive résumé. Last season she captured the Oaks del Trotto ($298,000), and this year she’s already added victories in the $78,000 Gran Premio Regione Campania and $78,000 Gran Premio Antonio Carena.
